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LiAngelo Ball
LiAngelo Robert Ball (born November 24, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL).He played for Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, winning the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championship in his junior year. Ball committed to play college basketball with the UCLA Bruins but was suspended indefinitely with two other teammates after they were arrested in China for shoplifting. He later withdrew from school to pursue a professional career. He is the son of media personality LaVar Ball and the younger brother of current NBA player Lonzo Ball. Early life Ball was born in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Anaheim, California, to LaVar and Tina Ball, who were both former college basketball players. The 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) LaVar played at Washington State before transferring to Cal State Los Angeles, where the 6-foot (1.8 m) Tina was also playing. A two-sport athlete, LaVar also played American football professionally for the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football. Liangelo began playing basketball at an early age with his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo. Growing up, the trio played on teams coached by their father, including Big Ballers VXT of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), where they would continue playing into high school. In August 2017, Ball and his family premiered in their Facebook reality show, Ball In The Family. High school career Ball played basketball at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, where he would play with his older brother, Lonzo Ball, during his first three years of high school. As a sophomore in 2014-15, he helped guide Chino Hills to the CIF Division I state title game. During his junior year, he averaged a team-leading 27.4 points per game, helping Chino Hills post a perfect 35-0 record, culminating in the 2016 CIF State Open Division Championship, and the Huskies were ranked the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. His younger brother, freshman LaMelo, join the team as well as cousin Andre Ball. They would both be on the team for his senior season. For Ball's senior season, Chino Hills lost top player Lonzo Ball and coach Steve Baik. Ball averaged 33.8 points per game, helped lead his high school program to a 30-3 record and advanced to the 2017 CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals. His senior season was highlighted by multiple high-scoring efforts, including a 72-point performance in a victory over Rancho Christian, one night after scoring 56 points in a 32-point win against Orange Lutheran, also had single-game point totals of 65, 60 and 52 (twice) for Chino Hills. He was named to the CIF Southern Section All-Open Division TeamAll-Area Team, first-team All-State selection in California by MaxPreps.com and an honorable mention All-America selection by MaxPreps.com, and he secured All-Area Player of the Year acclaim from the San Bernardino Sun and the Inland Daily Bulletin. College A three-star recruit out of high school, Ball enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was projected to be a reserve for the Bruins as a freshman in 2017–18. In November 2017, before UCLA's season opener against Georgia Tech, Ball and two other freshman teammates were arrested in Hangzhou, China, for allegedly stealing from a Louis Vuitton store outside of his hotel. After spending a few days in China, Ball returned to the United States. In a press conference he admitted to stealing and thanked President Donald Trump for helping him get out of China. As a result for his punishment, Ball was suspended for an indefinite period of time. On December 4, he announced that he planned to withdraw from UCLA. He appeared in just one preseason game for the Bruins, but never played in the regular season. Professional career Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas (2018–present) Although Ball was not considered a prospect for the National Basketball Association (NBA), LaVar planned to prepare him for the 2018 NBA draft. On December 11, 2017, Ball signed with Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas of the Lithuanian Basketball League, along with his more heralded younger brother LaMelo, who was also skipping college ball after dropping out from Chino Hills before his junior year. They signed contracts for the remainder of the season, with both sides having the option to terminate the deal after a month. The brothers started playing for the team in January 2018, with their international debuts occurring on January 9 in an exhibition Big Baller Brand Challenge Games. In his professional debut in the league season, both he and his brother missed all of their shots while coming off the bench in a loss. In his second professional game, Ball recorded a game-high 20 points and 3 rebounds in a 116–93 loss to the Pieno žvaigždės. On January 23, in a 147–142 victory at the Big Baller Brand Challenge Games, he recorded 38 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists against the LKL team Dzūkija Alytus. In the game, his father LaVar served as an assistant coach. In the final game of the Big Baller Brand Challenge Games, LaVar would be named the head coach for Vytautas, as LiAngelo recorded 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 151–120 win over Jonava. See Also Ball Family Gallery:Ball Family Gallery:LiAngelo Ball B B B B B